Young Catholic Brainiacs Square Off

Catholic brainiacs from around Orange County will converge on Rancho Santa Margarita on Saturday for a junior-high academic decathlon sponsored by the Diocese of Orange.

Sixteen parochial schools will square off in the event, which quizzes students on such topics as current events, science, religion and geography, according to a diocese press release.

“The decathlon promotes academic preeminence and educational values at parochial schools, as well as cooperative spirit and learning skills, logical and higher-order thinking and teamwork,” said Greg Dhuyvetter, Diocese of Orange Superintendent of Schools.

The following schools will send teams of 10 "decathletes" from grades six through eight: Serra Catholic, Our Lady Queen of Angels, St. Hedwig, , Sts. Simon & Jude, St. Edward the Confessor, St. Joseph, St. Columban, St. Juliana Falconieri, St. Joachim, St. Cecilia, St. Barbara, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bonaventure, St. Norbert and Blessed Sacrament.

The Academic Junior High Decathlon is a 10-event competition featuring two team events: a logic quiz with 20 rigorous thinking problems, and a super quiz finale with 50 multiple-choice questions on religion, literature, science art and geography.

The remaining eight events test individual knowledge of Roman Catholic doctrine, English, literature, science, mathematics, current events, social studies and fine arts. Awards are given for individual and team performance, and the winning school team will represent the Diocese of Orange in the statewide championship on May 5 at Serra Catholic School in Rancho Santa Margarita.

This is the 16^th year that the Diocese of Orange has participated in the Academic Junior High Decathlon.

The Catholic Schools Academic Decathlon was founded in September 1989 by Mark Ryan, who was then a junior high teacher at St. Aloysius School in South Central Los Angeles. Ryan had a vision for an academic event to parallel secular athletic competitions.

Saturday's decathlon begins at 9:30 a.m. at Santa Margarita Catholic High School.